Day 17 - Stewardship Worship

Christians should be leading the way on conservation, environmental responsability, fair trade, and other global issues, but instead, we remain apathetic or just plain obstinate. Why? Because it's still a liberal vs. conservative battle or because it's just some green tree hugger crying wolf. I don't care what you believe about global warming or consumerism or fair trade. It doesn't matter if you believe it matters or it's happening, because we're missing the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that our God is into long term plans and sustainability.

Just like God desires our consistent life-long devotion over our sporrattic tossed by every wave commitment, He also desires that we care about things that are about long term instead of instant gratification. Our economy, issues of pollution, and a myriad of other things that go along with these are all about quick fixes and the selfish pursuit of what will work for "Me" without concern about tomorrow. Take for example, factories using outdated dirty technologies to continue making cheap products filled with toxic additives that can cause unknown diseases that our own children chew on and bathe in... think about it...

Is that God honoring?

Are we worshiping God by catering to lobbyists and pharmaceutical companies that have no concern for people beyond the money that they can take from them?

Does this have anything to do with worship?

When we buy products that are cheap to us only because the resources were stripped from some third-world country and produced by grossly underpaid mistreated workers, are we honoring God or dishonoring Him? Or does it even matter?

These are questions that we need to be battling with, not whether or not this or that specific thing is wrong or right in our own eyes. We should be asking, "God, what do you think about this? Does this kind of stuff honor You or dishonor You? The traditional Christian response is that we should not be worried about these things when there are souls out there to be won, but here is the truth...

Empty souls are dying every day because of these things. We are killing ourselves everyday with the stuff we put in our bodies. We are acting without regard for the souls and lives of future generations who will be living in a world on the verge of catastrophe in the wake of our gluttony and irresponsability. And worst of all, we are robbing ourselves of the wonderful adventurous God-honoring life that we could be living if only we would care about what He cares about and live out justice, mercy, and God-honoring stewardship.

God, merciful Father, please explode us out of our apathy. Open our eyes, unstop our ears, let us see the devastation that we are part of causing. Oh God, we are so sorry for all that we are supporting and funding. Please forgive us and give us a clear picture of what we can do to change. Your honor and Glory is our top priority. Help us to worship You with our words, our actions, our money, our habits, with everything. You are worthy and Your plans go far beyond this generation! Oh Jesus, help us to prepare the way for the next generation and the generations to come. In Jesus' name, Amen.